Trying to impress Matt

chapter 39

Furrowing my eyebrows, I opened the message on my phone screen, immediately growing tense as I looked ahead of me, onto the stage.

“What is it?” Lia whispered, looking down at my lap, reading the message on my phone.

Will be fifteen minutes late. Got caught up at work!

Man, this was Matt and Joe’s graduation; the one day where parents are expected to be on time to witness their son or daughter moving onto the next phase of their lives.

Rolling my eyes down a few rows, I could see the back of Matt’s father in the crowd, and next to him, other parents from the graduation year.

“Don’t worry. The speeches usually go on for an hour anyway.” Lia whispered, winking my way when the principle introduced the crowd.

**

At exactly twenty five past eleven, my father located his seat next to Lia and I, distracting a few, if not, most of the crowd with his heavy foot stomps and tall frame. Lia smirked, embracing the attention flown our way, while I cowered deeper into my seat, trying to slink away from the nosy stares of the crowd.

To make matters a little more awkward, the guest speaker, who was a woman from the community’s council, faltered as she read her speech, looking at my father like he was God’s gift to women. Eww!

Spotting Joe and Matt in the crowd with all the other graduates, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle when they started making suggestive hand motions to my father, who might I add, completely ignored the two idiots. Nonetheless, it caused Lia and I to giggle uncontrollably, so we left the auditorium, trying to calm the hell down.

When we heard the announcer call out some of the students’ names, we entered the auditorium, standing in front of the crowd so we could take pictures of each student holding their graduate certificate. Yeah, Lia and I volunteered ourselves as the photographers for the day, just so we could get out of class and see our boyfriends graduate. And when I say our boyfriends, I actually know with one hundred percent certainty that Joe and Lia are going out. Turns out that even though we initially thought my dad won the bet, with Lia hitting Joe in the chest with her fists, Joe ended up holding her tiny fists in his hands and kissed her in front of dad, Matt and I. Afterwards, he claimed that they had been seeing each other secretly, much to all of our surprises. Not!

It was a beautiful moment, though one which we hardly got to embrace, due to the constant bickering between the two. They’re just so weird.  

“Joe Mason!” The announcer introduced, causing Lia to grin wildly, waving the camera in the air like a crazy woman. Some of the kids who had already received their certificates snickered, while others gave her a knowing smile.

As soon as Joe shook the principles hand, he stood on the stage, grinning broadly when he noticed my father, Lia and I clapping wildly.

After a few moments, the principle cleared his throat, signalling to Joe that he better get off stage soon.

“They haven’t snapped my shot yet!” He whispered to the principle, though his voice resonated loudly in the auditorium, causing most of everyone to chuckle aloud. You could even hear some of the girls from backstage making really suggestive comments; comments which caused Lia to glare at the curtains shadowing the girls.

“Rain and Lia dear, snap away please.” The principle commanded softly, though the look in his eyes told us to do it instantly. He obviously wanted to wrap this thing up already. He seemed kind of bored.

Lia shrugged, bringing the camera to her eye so she could snap a few pictures of Joe. I didn’t take any, seeing as the few she took of Joe was more than what she and I have taken from any of the other students.